Reasons to Love New York 2015 - "Smart City" Innovations -- New York Magazine

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Because the City Is Upping Its IQ

  • Published Dec 13, 2015

Hudson Yards  
(Photo: Visualhouse)

Just a few of New York City’s recent and soon-to-be �smart� innovations:

* By July, streets will be lined with 500 Wi-Fi pillars that will double as phone-charging ports, providing the world’s fastest municipal network.

* The new Hudson Yards development project will use motion sensors to monitor residents’ health and activity levels (if they opt in).

* The GPS-equipped bus fleet allows riders to receive text-messages or use an app to get updates about arrivals.

* Some water meters can now transmit usage data wirelessly, already saving the city $3 million a year by eliminating in-person meter readings and reducing billing disputes.

* In parts of Brooklyn and the Bronx, the NYPD is using acoustic gunshot-monitoring equipment to pinpoint a shot within seconds of its being fired. Police officers get alerts on their smartphones.